Thanks for all your help in the past.
At the moment it is critically important to identify the exact time window of the one hour segment Advocating Violence Against Cyclists on radio station WKRK 97.1 on Friday April 30, 2004. This segment occurred during the Midday Show which runs from 10:30 AM until 3:00 PM. I was notified at 12:55 PM Friday by email that this broadcast had taken place earlier in the day.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Ben,
I didn't hear the broadcast, but I am a Detroit area rider that has an intrest in curbing this type of attitude towards cyclists. Last year a Detroit News writer, Thomas Greenwood wrote an article about the death of area cyclist Michael R. Rabe - "Cyclist dedicated his life to bike safety." (<u>http://www.detnews.com/2003/commuting/0305/08/d10-158483.htm</u>. I thought it was an excellent article at the time, and there are several quotes in there from cyclists about harassment and car/bike accidents. I thought he might be a bit sympathetic based on his article and able to put some pressure on the radio station. I emailed him about the comments and he seemed receptive to helping. He responded soon after I emailed him that he has requested a transcript and is waiting for their response.
While I want to be careful about giving these guys publicity, I thought I would throw this out there. Perhaps we should keep this journalist in the loop to potentially keep pressure on both the Police department (I think you said you were contacting them today), and the radio station. Let me know what you think about this, or any other ways I can help,
Jack
Unfortunately I did not listen to the show. All the information about the broadcast I received second hand (at best) through this forum.
If I hear specifics I will transmit them here.
Thank you for your efforts in following up on this. I regard it is as very serious.
Yep, I was listening. It was the first topic after Howard Stern, how it started was they were discussing how nice the weather was and that people would be making terrible fashion statements with white legs and all. The conversation turned to the use of bike shorts and funny enough how silly it is TO WEAR A HELMET! The whole thing evolved from that.
There were a few that called in to defend, but were laughed off. The whole thing escalated from how funny we look in bike shorts, then as others called in, in defense Hensen could see it was pushing peoples buttons then came the flicking cigarette and car door opening statements.
So, depending on what time Stern got off, it would have been between 10:30 and 11:30
Hope this help
I just reread my post, I dont mean in defense of Hensen, whoops
.
What about the Saturn ION TV commercial… w/ the road-biker crashing into the car’s side & flying over?
I found it as being in very poor taste!
It leads to the idea of the car being protected from cyclists!?
I think for not much more weight than a full camelbak we could all start carrying a compact firearm in a hollster worn on our back for all approaching motorists to see. I’m sure this would drastically reduce the amount of harassment we receive.
In all seriousness though, the above contributors to this post have all displayed a great deal of restraint by choosing to not make some big public outcry that gives the maggots that spew this hate filth towards cyclist on public airways any more press time than they already have. Quietly contacting community groups and the authorities is a far better way to go.
Cheers to all you guys for keeping cool heads and helping look out for all of us.
The cyclist in that commercial slammed into an unmanned-parked car.
Trust me, as a parent of a 3-year old who is now “Batman on Training wheels”, bicycle-dent-resistent side panels are a plus. The real issue is those darned runaway grocery carts.
I thought it was funny. The guy slammed into a parked car.
I thought it was pretty funny too.
Have you received the information you needed?
The cyclist in that commercial slammed into an unmanned-parked car.
True! - slammed head-on going balistic over the engine hood
Problem is that the way it’s shown it suggests (in my opinion) that the car is well protected from such a “hazard”… and an adult road-biker being a hazard to a car did not feel right!
I always apreciated funny & well inspired automobile commercials (the classic VW Jetta vs. drugstore cart is one of my favorites) but this one left me w/ a grimace from the first viewing.
But that’s just me… I guess.
Hello Ben - Good to hear someone is acting on this.
As JimRDU has already written, we went through this same thing last fall with a DJ from a Clear Channel station here in Raleigh. Jim put a lot of work into a webpage on our club’s site, http://www.trirats.org/g105.html to try to keep everyone informed, we wrote letters and signed petitions. It was a very sensitive thing for me since I was hit by a car one week prior to the incident, and it was found to be NOT an accident. These people need to understand that they are responsible for the things they say, the actions they incite.
One person I highly recommend you get in touch with is Lois Cowan. She co-owns Century Cycles in Cleveland and has devoted most of her time in the last year to this cause. The FCC knows her well. She has spent her own money in fighting this cause and has gotten great results. Try a google search to find a great deal of info on her fight.
Her contact info:
Lois Cowan
Century Cycles
33351 Aurora Rd
Solon, Ohio 44139
440-519-0006
Let me know if there is anything I can do.
maylene
I didn’t find the Saturn commercial very funny at all. In light of a fellow cyclist and Michigan bike racer losing his life to a “parked car”
On Monday the 26th around 7am a guy by the name of Jeff Harrington was tragicaly killed while going for a early morning road ride. I don’t know all the logistics to this and for that Im sorry. He left behind a wife and family. He was a big part of BICYCLE AND FITTNESS BARN and the news left a very hard start to the day. Its speculated that he was run off the road into the back of a U-Haul truck that was broken down on the side of the road. That collision broke his neck. He was a avid road rider and a great guy.
Jeff’s obituary is on-line at http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/stories/20040428/obituaries/311500.html
Another Article:
http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/stories/20040427/localnews/305321.html
So, no, not funny, not well done. It wouldn’t have changed the tone of the commercial for me if it were a car running into the cyclist.
-SD
when I lived in NC, I rode now and again witha sherriff’s deputy who had a holster rigged and carried a sidearm. never hassled, although the sherriffs cycling shirt may have had something to do with it as well.
Yep, I was listening. It was the first topic after Howard Stern, how it started was they were discussing how nice the weather was and that people would be making terrible fashion statements with white legs and all. The conversation turned to the use of bike shorts and funny enough how silly it is TO WEAR A HELMET! The whole thing evolved from that.
There were a few that called in to defend, but were laughed off. The whole thing escalated from how funny we look in bike shorts, then as others called in, in defense Hensen could see it was pushing peoples buttons then came the flicking cigarette and car door opening statements.
So, depending on what time Stern got off, it would have been between 10:30 and 11:30
Hope this help
jtang,
Thanks so much for narrowing this down. This is great. Thanks again.
I just reread my post, I dont mean in defense of Hensen, whoops
jtang,
I presumed that was the case, that you did not and it was an oops. Thanks again.
I think for not much more weight than a full camelbak we could all start carrying a compact firearm in a hollster worn on our back for all approaching motorists to see. I’m sure this would drastically reduce the amount of harassment we receive.
In all seriousness though, the above contributors to this post have all displayed a great deal of restraint by choosing to not make some big public outcry that gives the maggots that spew this hate filth towards cyclist on public airways any more press time than they already have. Quietly contacting community groups and the authorities is a far better way to go.
Cheers to all you guys for keeping cool heads and helping look out for all of us.
bergman,
I’m just a little tired of the mentality of some people who drive cars and trucks who don’t know the law, who don’t have even the slightest manners, who don’t have any apparent common courtesy for others and don’t have any apparent respect for anyone other than for themselves.
It doesn’t take a genius to take on a 200 lbs cyclist and bicycle with a 4000+ lbs vehicle. It isn’t too difficult to figure out who wins in these confrontations.
I still haven’t received the letter from the Governor of my state that stated they had exclusive right to the roads over and above all others. I guess I just wasn’t on her (Granholm, Michigan) mailing list.
Have you received the information you needed?
Tom,
Yes, thank you. Was on a club ride and then family time and was not responding. Playing catch up now.
Hello Ben - Good to hear someone is acting on this.
As JimRDU has already written, we went through this same thing last fall with a DJ from a Clear Channel station here in Raleigh. Jim put a lot of work into a webpage on our club’s site, http://www.trirats.org/g105.html to try to keep everyone informed, we wrote letters and signed petitions. It was a very sensitive thing for me since I was hit by a car one week prior to the incident, and it was found to be NOT an accident. These people need to understand that they are responsible for the things they say, the actions they incite.
One person I highly recommend you get in touch with is Lois Cowan. She co-owns Century Cycles in Cleveland and has devoted most of her time in the last year to this cause. The FCC knows her well. She has spent her own money in fighting this cause and has gotten great results. Try a google search to find a great deal of info on her fight.
Her contact info:
Lois Cowan
Century Cycles
33351 Aurora Rd
Solon, Ohio 44139
440-519-0006
Let me know if there is anything I can do.
maylene
maylene,
So sorry to hear of your accident. I hope you have recovered completely.
Thank you for you assistance and offer. I have already communicated with Lois. She has been of great help. I will let you know when you can be of assistance. Otherwise, I will try to keep people informed on Slowtwitch.
Thanks again.
when I lived in NC, I rode now and again witha sherriff’s deputy who had a holster rigged and carried a sidearm. never hassled, although the sherriffs cycling shirt may have had something to do with it as well.
desert dude,
After 100 years, we have regressed back to the Wild West. I guess that means I am deficient in that I don’t carry a firearm when I ride, nor is it in plain sight, and I am not a sheriff’s deputy or other law enforcement official.
Frankly, I am disturbed that to ride safely on the road it should be necessary to be so equipped and trained/educated.